O'Charley's Restaurant + Bar Sunday evening closed two locations in metro Atlanta. The restaurants, both in freestanding buildings, were in Lawrenceville and Snellville. The Lawrenceville restaurant was located at 830 Lawrenceville Suwanee Road, across from power center Lawrenceville Market. The Snellville restaurant, located at 2049 Scenic Highway, was in an outparcel of the Kohl's and and Belk anchored Snellville Pavilion shopping center. Records indicate that the approximately 6,200 square foot Lawrenceville restaurant opened in 1999, and that the 6,650 square foot Snellville restaurant opened in 1998.
The first O'Charley's opened across from Nashville's Vanderbilt University in 1971. Today, there are about 190 locations across 17 states.
The closures of the O'Charley's in Lawrenceville and Snellville follow the closures of O'Charley's restaurants in Macon in 2018 and those in Dalton and Tucker in 2019. Online records indicate the chain has closed a dozen or so locations annually over the past several years.
The Shopping Center Group is currently marketing for the lease the former Snellville and Lawrenceville locations with terms that are "negotiable" and at rates that are available "upon request."
The Southern inspired American restaurant chain is perhaps best known for their popular "Free Pie Wednesday" promotion, in which diners receive a free slice of pie when they dine-in and order at least one entree. The O'Charley's website, however, indicates that the chain has at least two other ongoing promotions meant to drive traffic: All You Can Eat (AYCE) Double Breaded Tenders Tuesday and AYCE Catfish Thursday.
Despite the chain's promotional efforts, sales continue to slide and industry experts foresee additional closures. According to the O'Charley's website, there are still several outposts in Georgia including those in Buford, Cumming, Gainesville, Marietta, Austell, Conyers, Stockbridge, Hiram, Kennesaw and Woodstock.
Are you surprised by the recent O'Charley's closures? What do you think casual dining chains like O'Charley's, Ruby Tuesday, and Chili's can do to stay relevant? What would you like to see open in the shuttered O'Charley's restaurants in Snellville and Lawrenceville?
Please share your thoughts below.
19 comments:
A group of my friends (about 18 of us) got together at the Snellville O'Charley's just 2 weeks ago. The manager and waitress were both so nice and accommodating for our large group - they went above and beyond and it sad that they are now out of work. It was a well-managed location - such a shame.
If the 'any town America' chains want to stay relevant then the should try to do something aside from different variations on the same mediocre food. I've also noticed a sharp decline in quality from chains such as Red Lobster, Oliver Garden, Chilis, Applebees, etc in the past 20 years. They have been too focused on trying to serve a $12 steak dinner - a quality and price point that barely raises above a cafeteria offering. In a metropolis such as Atlanta with so many options offering fresher and higher quality at $14-15, it seems the chains are going the way of the regional malls. The model is stale the demand has passed them by.
Last time I ate at Ocharley's was in Hiram,Georgia back in 2013 I want to say exact, I will say it wasn't that good for the money extremely overpriced, that's why I haven't bothered eating at the one in Panama City, Florida off of 23rd Street by Home Depot since I no longer live in Metro Atlanta, and there isn't a location in actual Panama City Beach of course, and Disneypal trust me there is a lot better restaurants in Metro Atlanta to eat at, O Charley's isn't one of them actually, because they started going downhill after 2011 honestly, plus most restaurants that serve Pepsi Cola products are disgusting unless it's fast food or a local restaurant that hasn't grown into a major chain, I know restaurants that serve Coca Cola can be lousy as well at times, but 99% of the time it's the ones that serve Pepsi, and it's not necessarily the people working there's fault, it is the corporation and the people they hire to work in the kitchen and management is a huge play into that.
Let's see a Hooter's come back to Snellville.
@Disneypal - If the manager and server were good they won't be unemployed for long. Good managers and servers make or break restaurants and good ones are not easy to come by.
Stockbridge closed a number of years ago.
I am sorry to see them closing. I pray that every employee can find employment.
Unknown on February 26,2020 at 6:57 p.m. Actually really Applebees is the only one that really has gone downhill honestly, Chili's has gotten better along with Olive Garden and Red Lobster recently they offer cheaper deals than most fast food does nowadays, so therefore for far as fresher and higher quality for $14 to $15 goes that is basically irrelevant statement honestly so with that being said you might as well go ahead and say most of Atlanta is pathetic nowadays.
It comes as no surprise. My late husband use to work at their Nashville's Sidco Dr operation many years ago. The stories he would tell me
Unknown on February 27, 2020 at 11:17 PM It definitely isn't a surprise at all honestly because bottom line is: O Charley's sucks, the rolls are overly sweet, I rather eat at the ones at Texas Roadhouse where there rolls are just right, then on top of that O Charley's serves Pepsi products gag. Finally a burger that tastes no better than Red Robins for an example, and the fries have no flavor, and the chicken is no better than Chili's of course, plus the prices are outrageous even more expensive than Ruby Tuesday's and equal to Tgi Friday's even on that. For far as your husband's stories they are not shocking or surprising at all. So with all of this being said I rather spend my money at Beef O Brady's or Chili's for the quality that O Charley's serves for those prices, atleast at Beef's the burgers are great, the fries are unique with flavor, and Chili's the burgers are good, the fries are ehhh, the chips and salsa is awesome, the corn on the cob is great but spicy, the chicken is really good, and the steaks are to die for honestly. :)
@ Cody Carle - LOL - well aren't you the haute cuisine foodie!
Very sad to see this happen, 99% of the time service and food was great. Prayers that all are able to find employment soon. Thank you for always going out of your way to be extra nice and helpful to my 90 year old mother.
Anonymous on February 29, 2020 at 1:02 pm You obviously do not know how to spell my last name dumbass! π€£ It’s Cargle not Carle! π€¦π»♂️π I am not a hot cuisine foodie, learn how to spell proper grammar since when was the last time you took Language Arts class? π
Haute = High Class. SMH
Haute cuisine (French: [ot kΙ₯izin]; lit. "high cooking") or grande cuisine is the cuisine of "high-level" establishments, gourmet restaurants and luxury hotels. Haute cuisine is characterized by the meticulous preparation and careful presentation of food at a high price.
Anonymous on March 3, 2020 at 8:30 Pm High class omg you definitely are drunk if you think I’m high class, I might have more class than you lol but you started it so I’ll finish it! π I am too broke to eat at high level establishments, what I meant by better choices than O Charley’s was Red Robin, Five Guys, Cracker Barrel, Texas Roadhouse, and etc, I never meant anything gourmet or luxury hotels in general, so therefore once again this is irrelevant comment you are claiming here, why don’t you go back to your room and think about what you are saying, and realize you are arguing with a person who is a lot smarter than you, I may not look smart, but I am, looks are deceiving don’t ever judge a book by its cover. π
The management at the Snellville O'Charley's has always been awesome. They accommodated small and large groups well. We will miss them!
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I frequented the Lawrenceville Ga location many, many times & was always impressed with the servers, the food & environment!!! Why this facility closed I’ll never understand!! I
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